Pork Filled Players to Stage Northwest Premiere of FAST COMPANY, 11/1-22

When cons are the family business, watch your back - because it's not just about the score, it's about who you can trust! Pork Filled Productions will present the Northwest premiere of Fast Company by Carla Ching, directed by Amy Poisson (These Streets, The Clockwork Professor), at the Theatre Off Jackson (409 7th Ave. S., Seattle), November 1 to 22, 2014.

Meet the Kwans: a Chinese American family of expert con artists, grifters and thieves. But when daughter Blue masterminds the job of the decade stealing the world's most valuable comic book, it might just spell disaster for the whole family, including her brothers Francis and H and their mother Mable. Pitting new game theory against old-school cons, truth against illusion and family bonds against betrayal, it's a race to see who will come out on top in this fun, stylish crime caper.

Produced in association with the Theatre Off Jackson, Fast Company features a powerhouse Asian American cast, an innovative design team and enough twists and double crosses to keep you guessing. Shows are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with a Pay-What-You-Can industry night on Monday, November 10 and a special Sunday matinee on November 16 at 2 pm.

"We want to give audiences a ride on the fun train," says Executive Director Roger Tang. "But along the way, they'll discover that the story has deeper emotional themes and resonances. We want to show it's possible for theater to be both fun AND meaningful.

"Playwrights, as well as actors of color, are often relegated to the 'ethnic' slot in a theatre's season," Tang continues. "They're expected to be just about race, identity and family issues and to ooze with angst. PFP wants to bust open those boundaries, by allowing artists to make theater about anything, from steampunk adventures to smooth-talking con men."

The Fast Company cast features Daniel Arreola, Mariko Kita, Kevin Lin and Sara Porkalob. Producers are Narea Kang, Maggie Lee, May Nguyen and Roger Tang.

Advance purchase tickets are $15 General and $12 Student/Senior at Brown Paper Tickets, at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/press/809123. At the door, tickets are $18 General, $15 Student/Senior/TPS member. PFP is also proud to participate in Teen Tix. Fast Company is rated PG-13 for strong language and intense situations. For more information, please email Pork Filled Productions at info@porkfilled.com.

Carla Ching is a playwright for the CrossRoads Commissioning Project for South Coast Repertory Theatre and staff writer for USA Network's Graceland. Fast Company received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory Theatre and was commissioned by New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre; it is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. She is a member of Ma-Yi Theatre's Writers' Lab.

Amy Poisson is a Seattle based theatrical director and most recently directed the short film Stephen Baldwin's Backpack. Amy has directed various projects for 14/48 and LiveGirls!, as well as The Clockwork Professor for Pork Filled Productions at TOJ, These Streets at Central Heating Lab at ACT and The Strange Misadventures of Patty at the Annex Theatre. Amy is a former Equity stage manager and worked at the Seattle Rep for five seasons. She has also managed shows at the Intiman, Empty Space, ACT and various other small theaters that have come and gone over the years. Amy was the Associate Director for Robin Hood with Allison Narver at SCT and Assistant Director on Elektra at Seattle Shakes. Upcoming projects included Blood, Water, Paint for LiveGirls! and The Tumbleweed Zephyr (the follow up to The Clockwork Professor!) Amy holds a Certificate in Directing for Stage and Screen from the UW, a BA in Theatre from Eckerd College and is currently adjunct faculty at Cornish College of the Arts.

Pork Filled Productions is the theater offshoot of the long-running Seattle sketch comedy group, The Pork Filled Players. The group provides opportunities for Asian American theatre artists to create exciting new full-length plays that stretch the boundaries of Asian American theatre. Our shows reflect the boundless imagination and creativity of modern Asian American artists, including steampunk adventures (The Clockwork Professor by Maggie Lee), supernatural comedies (Big Hunk o' Burnin' Love by Prince Gomolvilas), mistaken race farces (Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang) and yes, even Kung-fu zombie Shakespeare (Living Dead in Denmark by Qui Nguyen).

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